New Ulm weekly review., 1887-11-23
but distrust him. It's = case Of DR.


Fell, Isuppose.
81 have no reason to doubt him, =
said Dick, thoughtiully, He is not q
drawingroom ON man, perhaps, and I
don't suppose he has highly honor
able notions; but yon can't choose
your tools ii these parts. He knows
a great deal about eold.d digging, and
shall try to make it worth his while
to run straight Annie again inn
plored him to be careful, and just
then Mrs. Moore came in and the con-
versation became general. Shortly
after Dick took his leave and went
back to his hut to prepare for the
morrew's journey.
CHAPTER II.
The sun, which in northern lati-
tudes sinks to rest yelled in soft clouds
and evening mists, here in the Afri-
can Highlands shot suddenly behind a
mountain, q fiery red ball to the last,
and glaring in the clear, bright sky.
Day was over, and night drew her
dark mantle round her with startling
rapidity. The great table-topped
mountains, which a few minutes before
shone in the intense heat of the after
noon. now stood mere outlines against
the deep violet tinted sky. Scarcely
star was visible to give even a
glimpse OF light. With the last gleam
OF sunshine the earth began to exhale
the heat absorbed during the day,
and chilly, damp feeling succeeded
the parched dryness which had lasted
as long as the sun was above the hori.
zon. Night had come, and she came
with the swiftness Of death. Dick Ca.
rev had walked all day from Bar ber-
ton hoping to reach Floyd's camp be-
fore dark; but the heat had been op-
pressive and the way was difficult
even to one SO accustomed to tough
ing it as Dick. Road there was none.
The slight track which he followed led
up and down these steep mountains
with the directness, and contempt for
convenience OF an old Roman way,
and was moreover literally garnished
with boulders. He was still some few
miles from his destination when the
sun set and plunged the scene in dark
ness. The moon had not yet risen,
and Dick knew enough Of this country
to realize the risks in stumbling over
those huge stones IN the gloom. "Full
moon tonight, but she won't rise for
an hour yet," he soliloquized, and
then, like a, sensible youth, he sat
down on the f1attest stone he could
find, pulled out his pipe and bag OF
boer tobacco and began to smoke and
to think Of his sweet Annie and the
pretty home to which he hoped to
take her some day. It was strange,
weird scene in which to think OF do
mestic joys and cheerful! everyday life.
The thick, soft darkness seemed to
press around him like a palpable sub.
stance, a gentle sound drumming wa.
ter smote on his ear. but he could see
nothing of the landscape save the tall,
square mountain outlines like an ar
my Of giants marshal,ed to keep guard
over him. Every now and then an owl
came suddenly towards him out Of
the gloom and perched on stone by
his side for a moment, then wheeled off
again with it's melancholy hooting; or
a jackal skunk silently along half hid
den among the boulders. Dick nerves
weregood and be was used to spending
nights in the veldt, but even he began
to feel creepy" and to wish it would
end, when suddenly q silver streak
shot like an arrow along the mount
ain side. The moon was above the
horizon, but q high hill shut her from
Dick, though the light found it's way
between the mountain ranges. TWAS
curious sight. Behind him the
country was gradually being flooded
with silver light while he sat in total
darkness. He watched it stealing on,
disclosing the valleys and lnequali-
ties in the hills which the night had
hidden, and casting the lonely heights
into deeper shadow Dick turned to
the east to watch for the first glimpse
of the moon, and. 10! in an slant
she was shining straight in his face.
Joyfully he rose from his seat and
continued his journey. A few hours
passed on, and then Dick began to
feel tired Of stumbling up and down
the hill, with no prospect Of food or
shelter. 1t was getting late, and
Floyd's camp seemed farther off than
ever. He was just making up his
mind to lie down and wait for day
light, when he saw as he reached
the crest of q hill wagon outspan-
ned in the hollow, q fire near it, and
some men sitting near. He made for
them at once, anu found that the wagon
belonged to Dutchman travelling to
Barberton. Dick was received by the
men with that hospitality which rare
ly fails in the desert. and after a. sup
per of sausage and rusks. washed
down by highly sweetened black coffee,
he threw himself under the wagon and
slept till sunrise.
An hours more walking brought
Dick to his destination; just at the
foot of a steep hill stood q patrol
tent, and a shanty OF mud and glass.
Out OF the first came the prospector
who welcomed him with smile and
assurance that prospects looked bet
ter than ever. James Floyd was an
enigma to all men on the Fields who
troubled themselves about anything
| boo:6oo confoor, cho VOC Jo woo o1.